Ranging truck



' A. CULBERTSON HANGING TRUCK il 28 W22 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 gwua'niiozNILLIAM A. CULBERTSON. OF CHAMBER-SBURG. PENNSYLVANIA.

HANGING- TRUCK.

Application filed November as, 1922. Serial No. 693,812.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known tl at I, IVILLIAM AUsUsTUs CULBERTSON, a citizen of theUnited States of rtmerica, residing at Chambersburg, Franklin County,Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inRanging Trucks; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to lettersor figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of thisspecification.

My invention relates to portable ranging, piling or stacking truckscapable of being manually moved from place to place and positioned forranging, stacking or piling packaged or boxed commodities.

While any desired kinds of packages may be lifted and discharged forpiling, I have chosen to illustrate that form of my invention asembodied in a portable truck intended for ranging or ranking barrels,and more particularly barrels of apples and like commodities, as theyare more ditlicult to handle than other packaged commodities in boxes orbarrels.

-The invention includes various features, such as loading from one sideand discharging at a higher level from the opposite side, automaticdischarge to one side of the path of travel, adjustability of the heightof discharge, and other features of invention that will hereinafter bemore particularly described and claimed.

Referring to the drawings in which like parts are similarly designatedFigure 1 is a View of the receiving side of a truck embodying myinvention.

Fig. 2 is a view of one end of the truck showing a barrel about to bedischarged.

Fig. 3 is a vertical central section.

Fig. 4. is a view of the opposite end of the truck.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on the line of Fig. 4 at the motor.

Fig. 6 is an elevation, and

Fig. 7 a section on line ?7 Fig. 6, showing the under side of the latchand bar controlling the elevation of discharge.

In piling, or ranging barrels, as it is customarily called, inwarehouses, the bar- 'rels are placed in rows on their bilge.

It is comparatively easy to place barrels in ranges or rows two or threehigh manually but beyond this it is very arduous work, and men canseldom work a whole day when barrels have to be ranged manually abovethe third range, and for this reason I have devised a truck that may bereadily moved about the warehouse floor in front of the ranges formechanically lifting and discharging the barrels at the desired levels.

With my device half the number of men can range more barrels than thecustomary crew.

In warehouses the doors are low, and the ranges may extend above the topof the doorways. For convenience of moving the truck through thedoorways the truck is tilted over on its traction wheels, and theworkman grasps the handle at the top, or the top rail if'he prefers, andtrundles it like an ordinary hand truck from room to room.

In the particular embodiment of my invention shown in the drawings Iprovide a vertical frame constructed of corner-memhers 10, preferably ofsmall angle-iron. These are connected at the top and bottom at the endsby transverse members 11, and in addition to these members I provide onboth ends diagonal braces 12.

Longitudinally of the receiving side of the truck I provide members 13,one at the top and another at the bottom. There being a similar member1S just above the receiving opening, and diagonal braces 14: above thismember.

On the discharge side of the truck at the bottom is a longitudinal angle15 and a similar one 16 above the level of the angle 13 on the receivingside. The space above this longitudinal member 16 is open for thedischarge of the barrels. Diagonal braces 17 extend between this member16 and the bottom member 15 on the discharge side.

Between the longitudinal angle 16 and the bottom of the angle 15 (Figs.1 and 5) I provide a pair of vertical, spaced tubes 18 acting as stays,as well. as guides for the barrels and for telescoping guideshereinafter referred to.

Secured to one end of the frame at the bottom is a pair of brackets 19,to which is secured a shait 20 provided with a pair of trundling wheels21, and above these wheels, supported on brackets 22 is a small electriclamp socket.

electric motor 23 that furnishes the power for raising the barrels.

On the other end, the frame is provided with brackets 24 in whichareinounted caster wheels 25, and above these wheels is a handle bar 26for the purpose of moving the truck along range, or from one position toanother in the store-room.

Above this handle 26 is located the electric control board 27 containingthe necessary equipment for operating the motor, for eX ample, arhcostat R, a main switch S and fuses F through which a. lamp cord C isconnected and provided, as customary with such cords with a socketconnection for an The rheostat R is electrically connected to the motor23. These electrical apparatus are not new, and form, per se, no part ofmy invention.

On the bottom of the frame I place a heavy wooden platform 28 28"'29,

3, provided with two longitudinal slots 30 and 31' for the passage of alifting bar. This bar conveniently may consist of a piece of pipe 32mounted to rotate on a rod 33 that extends lengthwise of the truck andis secured at its ends. to endless sprocket chains 34.

#Vhile I have shown one lifting flight or bar, it is obvious that morethan one may be used, if found necessary to increase the number ofbarrels lifted to one complete travel of the chains.

Below the platform is a shaft 35, at the opposite ends of which arefastened the lower sprocket wheels 36. The shaft 35 is mounted inbearing brackets 37 that also extend under the middle portion 22 of theplatform and support it At the top of the frame on each end I fixbearing angles 38 on which are mounted the stub shafts 39 for the uppersprocket wheels 40 for the chains 34. These upper sprocket wheels aremounted on stub shafts so as to leave space between them for the passageof a barrel, in order to utilize the full height of the truck.

On the receiving side of the truck above the bar 13 I place brackets 41for holding vertical guides 42 on which a barrel may slide as itascends. Near the bottom of the truck I place two roller guards 4-3 thatconverge toward the delivery side, and the function of which is tocentre the barrel as it is spun onto the platform.

- The shaft 35 also carries a worm-wheel 44 that is driven by a worm 45on a shaft 46 provided with a belt-wheel 47, more clearly shown in Fig.4. This belt-wheel is connected by a belt 48 to a, preferably, smallerbeltwheel 49 on the shaft of the motor 23.

I am aware that the motor may be placed much lower and be geared to thewormshaft 46,' but I prefer to use a belt connection for the reason thatwhen used for rang ing barrelled apples, and like dry commodi ties therefrequently occurs a barrel with a transversely cracked stave, bulgingconsid erably beyond the normal barrel contour that may hang on thetruck frame as the bar rel is lifted, and would be apt to break somepart of the lifting mechanism. By using a belt, the belt will eitherslip in such an instance, or break its lacing, without damto themachinery.

On the discharge side of the machine,'

above the bar 16 at each side of the truck I provide notched bars 50.Into the notches of these bars latches 51 engage. These latches arepivoted on bolts 52 mounted in a vertically adjustable bar which bar isheld in its adjusted position by the latches.

A. spring is curled about the bolt 52, one end of which finds abutmentagainst the angle bar 53 and the other end is bent, as at 55 Fig. 6, andabuts behind the tail of the latch, thus always urging the latch intolatching position.

The end of bar or angle 58, Fig. 6, rides back of the corner uprights10, while the latch 51 is in front of them, whereby the latch tends tohold the bar against these uprights.

The bar 53 has a pair of rods 56 having acutely bent ends 56 Fig. 3,projecting from the delivery side of the truck. The other, vertical,ends of the rods telescope in the tubes 18 and form verticallyadjustable e2;- tensions of these tubular guides.

If for any reason the barrel will not automatically discharge over theends 56" of rods 56, I provide a positive discharging mechanism mountedon the vertically adjustable bar 53, and vertically adjustable with it.

This mechanism comprises, near each end of this bar, the followingduplicate lever construction Hinged to the bar 53 a lever arm 57 havinga curved end that projects into the path of the carrier flight or bar 32beyond the barrel ends. This lever arm has a per pcndicular projection58 that is connected by a link 59 to a short crank arm 60 whose shaftportion 61, Fig. 1, extends along the top of bar 58 and is again crankedto form an ejector arm 62. The portion 61 of this arm is mounted to turnin eyes 63 and sufficiently long to bring the ejector arms 62 into thepath of the barrel. The ejector arms 62 are just long enough to clearthe lifting flight For trundling the truck I may provide trundlinghandles 64 at the upper corners, but these may be omitted and the member11 used for this purpose if desired, which for convenience of engagementby the hands may be a piece of pipe with flattened ends, instead of anangle, as illustrated at 11?, Fig. 4.

It will be noted that the space between the flight 32 and the dischargeside. of the truck is slightly greater than the space between thisflight and the supply side so that a barrel will, while being lifted, ifsymmetrically loaded, be raised in unstable equilibrium and while beingraised will tend to ride against the telescoping guides 18, 56 at thedischarge side.

It will also be noted that the platform por tion 29 at the dischargeside is slightly lower than the other portion 2828*' the purpose ofwhich is to prevent the barrel from accidentally rolling out of thetruck after it has been placed in it.

The operation is as follows:

The truck is moved by handle 26 to the desired position along the rangewith the delivery side toward the range. The bar- 53 is grasped at eachend by the operator,

who at the same time grasps the tails of the latches 51, pushes thesetails toward the bar, and their noses out of the notches in bars 50, andthe bar 53 is adjusted to the proper height, the rods 56 telescoping inthe tubes The workman spins a barrel onto the platform and it settlesbetween the guides 43 toward the lower side 29. The motor 23 is startedand the flight 32 passes through slot 31 in the platform under thebarrel and raises it until it is above the adjusted position of bar 53,when it will automatically roll or discharge away from the chain flightover the bar 53 and roll along the projecting rod ends 56.

If the barrel is symmetrically loaded, which will be the case with fueloil, molasses and other liquids, the discharge will be automatic.

In the case of apples and other fruits, and vegetables the barrel mayrequire a slight lift or impulse to cause it to move over the dischargebar 53. As the horizontal centre of thebarrel rises above the bar 53 thebarrel begins to bear away from the lifting flight on which it rests inunstable equilibrium, allowing the ejector arms 62 to rise freely backof the barrel and gradually move it out of the truck onto the dischargerails 56.

The flight 32 as it nears the discharge level engages the actuating arms57 and raises them. The discharge arms 62 by rea son of the linkconnections 59 follows the actuating arms 57 and pass the latter beforethe flight 32 rides past the ends of the actuating arms. The dischargearms 62 engage beneath the barrel and cause it to roll over thedischarge bar 03 on the projecting and guiding rod ends 56. The flight32 con tinues its movement, passes down on the opposite side of thesprocket wheels and through platform slot 30 preparatory to raising thenext barrel.

In order to move the truck from one room to another the truck is tiltedon wheels 21, and the workman holding handles 6& or the pipe member 11*.'trundles the truck in the usual manner. The operating mechanism beinglocated mainly at the bottom of the truck, the main part of the loadwill be carried by the wheels 21 during trundling, thus relieving theworkman of the weight of the greater part of the load.

I claim 1. In a ranging truck, guides which laterally support the loadto be carried between them and a lifting flight engaging the bottom ofsaid load and supporting it in unstable equilibrium as regards theflight.

2. In a ranging truck, a pair of endless chains, a lifting flightextending between them, and guides supporting the load between themduring its movement, said lifting flight arranged to engage the load toone side of the centre of the load.

3. In a ranging truck, a pair of endless chains, a lifting flightbetween them, a platform having an opening through which said flighttravels to engage the load, the platform on one side of the openingbeing at a slightly different level than on the other for retaining theload in the truck.

4-. In a ranging truck, an endless carrier, guides on opposite sides ofthe carrier between which the article is to be supported, the ends ofthe guides on one side of the carrier being lower than the correspondingends of the guide on the other side for discharge over the upper ends ofthe lower guides.

5. In a ranging truck, an endless carrier, guides on opposite sides ofthe carrier, the guides on one of the sides of the carrier being lowerthan on the other side of said carrier and arranged to discharge awayfrom the carrier.

6. In a ranging truck, acarrier chain ight, load confining guides oneach side of said flight and means to adjust the length of the guides onone side of the flight.

7. In a ranging truck. an endless carrier having a load-carrying flightthereon, load confining guides between which said flight travels, theguides on one side terminating above the bottom of the truck to permitinsertion of the load from one side of the truck and the guides on theother side terminating below tl s top to permit discharge on theopposite side of the truck.

8. In a ranging truck, a platform, guides extending to said platform atits discharge side, said platform having a portion arranged adjacentsaid guides lower than the remaining portion for holding an articleagainst the guides preparatory to being lifted.

9. In a portable ranging truck, a frame, a platform thereon having twoslots, endless carrier chains at each end of the truck, and a liftingflight arranged to successively pass through said platform slots.

10. In a portable ranging truck, a lifting flight consisting of a rodand atube freely rotatable on said rod.

11. In a portable ranging truck, a platform having two slots, an endlesscarrier having a flight for successive passage through said slots, oneof said slots being arranged nearer the loading side than the dischargeside of the truck and the other approximately at the middle of theplatform.

12. In aportable ranging truck, a frame, a pair of trundling Wheels onone end and a pair of caster wheels on the other end, an endless carrieron the frame, a motor on the frame anddriving connections between themotor and endless carrier, and trundling and handle means at the top ofthe frame.

13. In a portable ranging truck, a loading side having a loading openingat the bottom and an opposite discharge side having an adjustabledischarge opening above the level of the loading opening.

141-. In a portable ranging truck, vertical load guides above a loadingopening at the bottom of one side of the truck, vertical telescopingguides on the opposite, discharge side and an adjustable bar to whichtelescoping portions of said guides are secured, whereby the dischargelevel may be adjusted.

15. In a ranging truck, a frame having guides between which the articleis guided, the guides on one side of the truck extending from a loadingopening at the bottom of the truck to the top, telescoping guides on theopposite discharge side comprising stationary tubes at the bottom ofsaid side and rods vertically adjustable in'said tubes, the upper endsof said rods being bent outward to form discharging rails.

16. In a ranging truck, a lifting flight, an adjustable bar controllingthe height of dis "charge of said flight, and positive dischargemechanism operating to engage the load and move it from said flightduring the travel of the latter.

17. In a ranging truck, a lifting flight, a

vertically adjustable bar controlling the level of discharge, andpositive discharge mechanism mounted on said bar and operated by saidflight.

18. In a ranging truck, a lifting flight, a vertically adjustable barcontrolling the level of discharge of said flight, and positivedischarge mechanism comprising an arm pivoted on said bar extending intothe path of said flight, a cranked discharging arm pivoted on said barand a link between the arms.

19. In a ranging truck, a lifting flight, a vertically adjustable bar, apositive discharging mechanism on said bar comprising an arm pivotedthereon having a curved end projecting into the path of said flight anda perpendicular projection, a discharging arm having a crank and a linkconnecting the crank and projection.

20. In a ranging truck, a frame, a vertically adjustable bar controllingthe level of discharge, a notched plate on the frame at each end of saidbar and a latch at each end of the bar to en age the notches in saidplates.

21. In a portable ranging truck, a bar over which the truck dischargesmeans to adjust said bar as to height to control the level of dischar eand positive discharge mechanism on the bar and adjustable therewith.

22. In a ranging truck, a carrier flight for engaging the load to oneside of its centre, and vertically adjustable positive dischargingmechanism having a load-engaging arm extending substantially beneath thecentre of the load and operated by said flight.

23. A portable ranging truck having a loading platform, a pair oftrundle wheels for the truck and a pair of caster wheels, lifting meanson the truck, mechanism for operating the lifting means, means to permitthe automatic dscharge of the truck when the load has been lifted, ahandle to shift the truck on all its wheels and means to be grasped bythe operator when the truck is moved on its trundle wheels.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signedmy name hereto.

IV. A. CULBERTSON.

